Tennessee high-school students competed in exercises designed
to help them hone their business skills at the Future Business Leaders of
America Region 4 Conference on Wednesday, Feb. 13.

The contestants, representing 31 high schools and
home-schooling associations, vied for top prizes in categories such as business
ethics, global business, management decision-making, entrepreneurship,
marketing, client service, impromptu speaking, job interview and public
speaking.

In the contests, teams of two or three students were given
case summaries and given about 20 minutes to come up with solutions to whatever
issues are at stake.

“Not only are the students given an opportunity to
demonstrate and improve their skills, but professors can avail themselves of
the opportunity to target outstanding students to recruit for future
admissions,” said Dr. Martha Balachandran, a professor in the MTSU Department
of Business Communication and Entrepreneurship.

The event was sponsored by the Tennessee Department of
Education’s Career and Technical Education Division with organizing support
from Balachandran, BCE instructor Kay Blasingame-Boike and BCE professor Dr.
Wayne Rollins. Doug Tatum, holder of the Wright Chair of Entrepreneurship in
the Jennings A. Jones College of Business, secured funding for prizes.

For more information, contact Balachandran at 615-898-2036
or Blasingame-Boike at 615-898-5687.

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